Electrical attachment for gas-lights



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. L. KELLNER & G. S. BARROWS. ELECTRICAL ATTACHMENT FOR GAS LIGHTS.

No. 603,334. Patented May 3,1898.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. L. KELLNER & G. S. BARROWS.

ELECTRICAL ATTACHMENT FOR GAS LIGHTS.

N0. 60 3,334. Patented May 3,1898.

4 we k k A e 0 I E a h UNITED STATES PATENT Enron.

FRANKLIN L. KELLNER AND GEORGE S. BARROWVS, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE TV ELSBACH LIGHT COHPANY, OF GLOUCESTERCITY, NETV JERSEY.

ELECTRICAL ATTACHMENT FOR GAS-MGHTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 603,334, dated May 3,1898.

Application filed November 22, 1897. Serial No. 659,397. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRANKLIN L. KELL- NER and GEORGE S. BARRows,citizens of the United States, residing in the city of Philadelphia, inthe county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful Electrical Attachment for lVelsbach and other Gas-Lights,of which the following is a specification.

The objects of our invention are to provide a simple, compact, reliable,and efticient electrical and mechanical device for operating thegas-valve to turn on and off the gas and permit of its ignition, forexample, by means of a pilot light or burner, to control or oper ate theelectrical and mechanical valve-actuating device by means of exceedinglysimple circuit connections, and to provide a simple mechanical motionresponding to electrical impulses and operating the valve by a motion ofrotation in one direction to turn the gasways of the valve and seat intoand out of alinement to admit and exclude gas and to lift the valve fromand immediately return it to its seat at each of its movements ofrotation.

Our invention consists in the improvements hereinafter described andclaimed, and its nature, characteristic features, and scope will be morefully understood from the following description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which Figure 1is an elevational View illustrating our improved attachment inapplication to an ordinary Velsbach light. Fig. 2 is a sectional viewdrawn to an enlarged scale and taken at right angles to the plane ofFig. 1 and illustrating the valve and its actuating attachments. Fig. 3is a View taken at right angles to the plane of Fig. 2 and illustratingportions of the device broken away so as to show the interior partsthereof. Fig. i is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2, andFig. 5 is a view illustrating a modification of our invention.

In the drawings, a is a chamber to which gas is admitted by way of theattachment a, that is adapted to an ordinary gas-supply and from whichgas is delivered to or cut off from the burner. "When the attachment isintended for use with a WVelsbach light, the Bunsen tube 1) of the lightis secured to the connection a of the chamber a. The chamber a is madein two parts, of which the top one A carries or supports all of theworking parts of the device, so that the other may be re moved andaccess had to the working parts conveniently and without disturbing thegas connections.

0 is a valve of conical form and provided with a depending spindle c.This valve 0 is adapted to a correspondingly-shaped seat a cut orotherwise formed in the upper member A of .the .chamber. This member isalso provided with a gas-passage a, that leads from the interior of thechamber through the conical ball of the valve-seat (i As shown, thehorizontal portion of the gas-passage a is formed by boring radiallyfrom the outside of the easing and then filling up the outer portion ofthe hole so formed with a plug, as a, this being a simple but notexclusive method of manufacture. The vertical portion of the gas-passagea maybe formed byboring upward,so as to intersect the describedhorizontal opening. It follows from this construction that the casing tois always filled with gas and that the latter enters the gasway a and isconducted thereby to the seat a of the valve. The valve itself is boredtransversely, as at 0 Fig. 4, and from this transverse passage upwardthrough its top, as shown at 0 Fig. 2, so that when either of the endsof the transverse hole 0 is in line with the gasway a gas escapes from athrough c and through c to the burner. In. all other positions of thevalve its conical surface being opposite to the outlet of the passage acloses the latter and prevents the escape of gas to the burner.

From the foregoing description it is apparentthat the rotation of thevalve continuously in one direction and with a step-by-stepmovalve-spindle mount crown-wheels d and d, that have a space betweenthem in which works a fixed pin 6, suitably supported, as by a plate 0,connected to the lower ends of the cores of the electrom agnets e and cof which two have been found sufficient to operate the device. Thevalve-spindle 0 may be dropped through the valve-seat, through thecrownwheels, and through a central opening in the plate c, so that itslower end projects therefrom. The crown-wheels are pinned to thevalve-spindle, which is a comparatively simple method of construction.Onto the lower end of the valve-spindle is attached, for example, bymeans of a screw connection, the plate-like armature c of theelectromagnets. When the electromagnets are energized, the armature isattracted and lifted upward, carrying with it the spindle-valve andcrownwheels. However, the fixed pin 6 operates in the zigzag groove,more specifically upon the teeth of the crown-wheel d, and causesrotation of the spindle througlnfor example,fortyfive degrees. Upon theinterruption of the circuit the electromagnets cease to attract thearmature, so that the latter falls, carrying with it the valve-spindleand parts connected therewith. During this fall the pin c operates upona tooth of the crown-wheel d, thus causing the valve and spindle to beturned through forty-five degrees more. During its ascent and descentthe valve has been lifted up and cleared from its seat and turnedthrough ninety degrees, which is sufficient to open or close the outletfrom the gasway a", as has been described. The weight of the armatureassists gravity and insures closing of the valve. A by-pass tube fisfitted to an openingf through the wall of the chamber Ct. The effectivearea of cross-section of the opening f may be increased or diminished bymeans of an adjusting-screw f Gas escapes continuously through the tubefand feeds a pilot-light which constantly burns near the burner. Asshown, the burner is provided with a section of pilottube f having asleeve or coupling f", adapted to detachably engage or fit the sectionof pilot-tube f. This detachable connection permits of the removal ofthe gallery without disturbing the other parts of the device, which inmany cases is advantageous. Moreover, the pilot-tube does not interferewith the ordinary adjustment of the air-shutter 9 The section f ofpilot-tube is passed through the gallery g and up outside of theburner-head g; butit can be passed up inside of the burnerhead, ifdesired. 7b is a binding-post passing through and insulated from theupper wall of the casing. The lower end of this bindingpost is inelectrical connection with the leading-in wire 71/ of theelectromagnets. The other wire 7L2 of the electromagnets is connectedwith some part of the fixture, which constitutes an electrical path fromit to the gas-pipe or through ground. The other end of the binding-posth is in electrical connection with the push-button or switch its, forexample, by way of a wire or conductor 7r. The switch ha is connectedthrough the battery or other source if, for example, by way of aconductor 7t to ground or to the gas-pipe, as by a conductor 7L7.

The mode of operation of the described apparatus may be explained asfollows: There is always a flame burning at the pilot-light tube f inproximity with the burner of the light to be lighted. For the sake ofdescription it will be assumed that the valve 0 is seated upon its seata and that the gasway e is turned at right angles to the gasway a, sothat the latter is closed by the solid eonical wall of the valve 0.Consequently no gas passes the valve, and the main burner is thereforeextinguished. To light the main burner, the push-button orcircuit-closer 7L3, which may be located in any convenient position, ispushed or otherwise turned to close the circuit, which is shown on thedrawings as follows: 7L5 h 7t3 77; 7t 7t, coils of the magnets c and 67L2, gas-pipe, and 7N back to the battery. Of course the battery may begrounded, in which case the ground takes the place of the conductor72,7, and it may be remarked that a single-wire circuit and an ordinarypush-button are sufficient for operating the attachment. By closing ormaking the circuit as described the eleotromagnets are energized andattract their armature, which lifts the valve. During the lifting of thevalve the zigzag groove and pin effect rotation thereof, as described,and since the valve is rotated as it is lifted it is thus prevented fromsticking to its seat. When the push-button is released, the valve infalling is turned by the zigzag groove and its complen'iental pin insuch manner that its gasway c is brought into alinement with the gaswaya", thus permitting gas to escape from the chamber a to the burner,where it is ignited by the pilotlight or otherwise. The next time thecircuit is closed and again broken the valve is ro tated in the samedirection and into position for cutting off the supply of gas andextinguishing the light. Subsequent makes and breaks in the circuitcause the valve to be lifted up and rotated in the same direction, withthe result that the gas is alternately lighted and extinguished. Thedescribed attachment may be used for controlling the admission of gas toa plurality of burners instead of one, and in such case the burners maybe lighted by a pilot-light or otherwise. The yoke e of theelectromagnets may be a circular ring inserted or inlaid in the top ofthe chamber a, or the top of the chamber may be constructed of iron, inwhich case it will operate as a yoke. The latter construction isillustrated in Fig. 5.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which our inventionappertains that modifications maybe made in details without departingfrom the spirit thereof. Hence we do not limit ourselves to the preciseconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinabove set forth, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings; but,

Having thus described the nature and ebjects of our invention, what weclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An attachment for Welsbach and other gas-lights comprising thecombination of a gas-admission valve and its complemental seatrespectively provided with gasways and adapted to be lifted and turnedin respect to each other, a zigzag groove and its complemental pin foreffecting rotation of the valve to position said gasways for theadmission and exclusion of gas, and electromagnets and their armatureand connections for lifting and dropping the valve wherebyit is rotatedwith a step-by-step motion in the same direction, and lifted and droppedat each rotation, substantially as described.

2. An attachment for Welsbach and other gas-lights comprising thecombination of a two-part gas-chamber to which gas is supplied, avalve-seat and gasway in the upper part of said chamber, said gaswaycommunicating with the interior thereof and through said seat, a valveprovided with lateral gasways opening through its top and with adepending spindle, crown-wheels mounted on the shank of said spindle, anarmature on the end of said spindle, electromagnets, a fixed pincooperating with said crown-wheels, and circuit connections for theelectromagnets, substantially as described.

3. In an attachment for WVelsbach and other gas-lights, a chamber towhich gas is supplied, a valve and its complemental gasways forcontrolling the admission of gas to the main light, electrical andmechanical devices for operating said valve, a section of a by-pass tubeextending from said chamber, means carried by said chamber forcontrolling the by-pass tube, a section of by-pass tube carried by theburner,

and a sleeve or coupling for detachably connecting the said sections ofby-pass tube, substantially as described.

4. In an attachment for lVelsbach and other gas-lights, a valve providedwith a gasway, a seat provided with a gasway, and electrical andmechanical devices, substantially as described, for rotating said valvein one direction with a step-by-step motion and for unseating andreseating said valve to facilitate the described rotation thereof.

5. In an attachment for Welsbach and other gas-lights, the combinationof a rotary and endwise-movable valve provided with gasways, avalve-seat provided with gasways, a plate-like armature attached to saidvalve, electrom agnets, a zigzag groove on said valve, and a pincooperating with said groove,whereby the valve is intermittently rotatedin the same direction for the admission and eXclu- FRANKLIN L. KELLNER.GEORGE S. BARROVS.

In presence of F. H. MACMORRIS, W. F. JACKSON.

